Third Time's A Charm
by katechambers
Summary: Instead of turning to Izzie, Alex turns to Addison in the S4 Finale. See how their relationship develops from that and if they can ever really be together. Addex, more couples to come but that would just give away too much;
1. Chapter 1

**So hello there everyone! I'm katechambers and this is the first fic I've posted on here:) I have a couple chapters written so I would love your feedback on whether or not you would like to see them! This is an Addex fic all the way. It's kind of a twist on the season 4 finale of GA. Instead of turning to Izzie, Alex turns to Addison(because she never left to be on PP...although it's a great show IMO)...but not everything goes how he planned.**

**I hope you enjoy this fic! It's been in my head for a while now. Just took a little longer to finally put down on paper:)**

**Disclaimer: eh...they're not mine...but if only...**

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**I Turn To You**

Alex had always known that deep down, Rebecca was crazy. He just thought that after dealing with his mom that he could take on anything. Izzie felt differently though and had booked Rebecca a room on the psych floor. Alex couldn't be more furious. He knew he could have done it. He could have taken care of her. He loved her. That should have been enough.

But it wasn't.

He had to talk to someone. Derek and Meredith were off somewhere trying out bright and shiny so he definitely didn't want to see either of them. Christina was...well Christina. George wouldn't be any help and Izzie was the last person he wanted to talk to right now. That left pretty much Callie, Mark, and Addison.

He figured that Mark was a manwhore and Callie was his current fling so they'd be too wrapped up in themselves to care about anyone else. That left Addison.

Alex walked upstairs to the NICU, hoping she was still there. Of course, when he got there, she had gone back to the hotel already. He debated whether or not to go over there, but thought against it. So instead, he decided the next best thing would be to go over to Joe's and throw back a couple.

The bell above his head rang out as Alex entered the bar. He walked straight over the bar and took an empty seat.

"Hey Alex. You don't look so good. You all right?"

"Hey Joe. Yeah I'm fine. Just fucking great. Rebecca tried to commit suicide today. So she's gone now. They took her up to Psych. And once again, I'm alone."

An odd smile crept onto Joe's face and Alex looked about ready to punch him when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"That's not true and you know it. You're not alone."

"Addison, I thought you had gone home."

"I was headed home but decided to come over here for a bit. I must admit that I figured you might be here as well."

"You were expecting me?" Alex asked with a slight eagerness in his voice.

"Down boy. I just figured you would want to talk to someone so I thought I would make myself available." He looked at her and grinned as she realized what she had just said.

"I meant available to talk with. About Rebecca and what happened today. Why don't we go back to the hotel and we can talk about it."

Alex thought for a minute and decided that it was probably a better idea than going home and drinking himself into a coma. They said bye to Joe as they left the bar and walked back across the street to get their cars. He followed her to the hotel and soon the pair was sitting on her couch, drinking Vodka tonics.

"I'm not good at this talking stuff. Never have been."

"That's okay. We can just sit if you want. Until you're ready."

"No I just need a few minutes. I'm going to go make another drink. Do you want a refill?"

"Sure that sounds good."

Alex walked to her kitchen to make another Vodka tonic for them. He hung his head as his body tensed. He wanted to talk about this and he trusted Addison above anyone else, but sharing his feelings was not something he did. He took a deep breath, poured the drinks, and walked back into the living room.

"You feeling a little better?"

"Yeah. I think I'm ready."

Alex looked from his glass to Addison. She was watching him intently, waiting for him to speak. However, he didn't speak. Not a single word. He just sat there staring at her. She looked beautiful. He reached out and took her hand. Addison was hesitant at first but relaxed once he started rubbing the soft spot between her thumb and forefinger.

"Alex, I don't..."

"Addison, please don't say anything. Not right now. Can't we be together. Just for tonight? Please. Please Addison. I need you. I need...you."

Tears were streaming down his face as he silently confessed to her what was going through his mind. Although she wanted him so badly, she didn't want for it to happen like this. As much as she loved his touch on her hand, she slowly removed it from his grasp.

"Alex, you have to understand that sleeping with me isn't going to help you get over Rebecca any faster. I just think you should talk it out first. Please talk to me."

Alex just looked at her. He was still crying but now it was more out of anger than hurt. He grabbed her face with both of his hands, but not in a forceful way, and she clasped her hands around his. Then, he leaned in to kiss her. It wasn't a rough kiss but it was certainly sloppy. That alcohol was affecting him more than he thought. Addison immediately responded to his kiss. It felt so good to have his lips firmly pressed against hers. But as quickly as she responded, she pulled away.

"This isn't right. We can't do this Alex. It isn't fair to either of us. I don't want to sleep with you like this and I know you'll regret it in the morning. Please understand where I'm coming from. You're a great friend of mine and I don't want to lose you." Addison pleaded as she held his hands and looked into his clouded, puffy eyes.

"No! I want to be with you. Can't you see that? Why aren't you listening to me? I need this. I need _you_. Please Addison. Just tonight."

"Alex, I will let you stay here with me tonight just as long as nothing happens because I know that once we start, there won't be any stopping and if it were to ever happen between us, I would want to know that it was done out of clear judgement, not drunkenness."

Alex didn't want to give in so easily, but he knew Addison was a strong-willed woman and as much as it pained for him to admit it, she was right. Although he really did want her, just not in this way. He looked at her and nodded his head as she took his hand and led him to the bedroom.

"There's an extra toothbrush in the bathroom. You can use that one."

"Yeah. Thanks."

Addison gave him a weak smile as he disappeared into the bathroom. She pulled out a tank top and a pair of shorts from a drawer and changed in her enormous closet. She heard the door from the bathroom open and Alex's form fall onto the bed.

_Oh what am I getting myself into?_

Addison emerged from the closet and walked into the bathroom as Alex stared at her slender body. He couldn't take his eyes off her perfectly sculpted legs, her flat stomach, or her long red hair. She looked stunning even before going to bed.

She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and combed her hair before walking out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Alex was under the covers in what she guessed would be a tank and his boxers considering the amount of clothing on the floor.

She crawled into bed next to him and was a little weary on where to put her body, but soon found a comfortable spot snuggled tightly next to him with her arm draped over his abdomen. This was going to be a long night but she promised him she would be there so that's what she was going to do.

"Goodnight Alex. If you need to talk anytime tonight just wake me up, okay?"

"Yeah okay. Goodnight Addison. Thank you."

"You're welcome." She said as she smiled and fell asleep. It felt wonderful to have his arms wrapped around her even if she wasn't the one in need of comforting.

Addison never moved from her spot all night and Alex never woke her up. In fact, he never went to sleep. He just held Addison and watched the clock, thinking about his life and where he was going to go from here. As the red numbers turned to 4:00am, he quietly moved out of bed and put his clothes on, while watching her sleep. She looked so peaceful there and he didn't want to disturb her. Rummaging through the desk, he found a piece of hotel paper and wrote a simple word on it before walking over to the bed, placing it on the pillow next to her, and kissing her on the temple before quietly slipping out the door.

An hour later when Addison woke up, she found the note on the pillow. She opened it up and one word stared back at her. Just one word.

_Thanks._

She knew that was it. There would be no more surgeries performed by the two of them because she wasn't expecting him to show up for work. In fact, she wasn't expecting to see him ever again.

Oh how things can change in only a matter of months.

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**Well...there it is. I hope you liked it!! I would love to see some reviews to know what everyone thinks! Thanks again for reading:D And hopefully chapter 2 will be up by the middle of the week!  
**

**-KC**


	2. Changes

**So hey there everyone. First of all...THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS! It's means the world that you're all reading this:) So I really appreciate it. Secondly, I know I told most of you that there would be an update yesterday. Well I was all ready to post it and for some inexplicable reason my computer wouldn't let me access MS so I couldn't get to the document to make a few changes. Then...as if that wasn't enough, the document had been lost. So I had to rewrite the entire chapter today mostly from memory and let me tell you it's not as good as the one I had written and it's shorter now. I'm kind of disappointed in how it turned out. Hopefully the next chapter will be a lot better. Ok...enough of this...On with the chapter!!**

**KC**

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**Changes**

The hospital was buzzing with new of Alex's disappearance. The nurses were saying he had a breakdown of his own and skipped town. His friends were saying he was okay and just probably drinking at a bar somewhere. Addison knew the truth. He was gone, but it didn't really hit her until she started noticing how the little things were different.

No more shared morning lattes. No more surgeries where they performed flawlessly together. No more juju after a successful procedure. No, it wasn't until Addison was scrubbing out of the O.R. that she realized how much she actually missed having him around.

The door opened to the scrub room and a tall blonde stormed in.

"I want to know where Alex is and I want to know right now so I suggest you tell me or else."

Addison just looked up from the sink and into the O.R. before she sighed and turned to Dr. Stevens.

"First of all, don't ever speak to me like that again or I will make your life a living hell. Secondly, if I knew where Alex was I certainly wouldn't tell you. He didn't come to you last night for a reason. So I suggest you stay away from him because he obviously doesn't want to be found."

Izzie just huffed and turned around to walk out the door. Addison sighed and wondered where on Earth Alex was and why he didn't even tell his best friends. She was starting to worry about him, so she went to Richard's office hoping he might know where he was.

Addison knocked on Richard's door and he beckoned her inside.

"Addie! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"Hey Richard. I was wondering if you might have spoken to Dr. Karev this morning. He came to me last night really upset about Rebecca and he stayed the night but when I woke up he was gone and no one has seen him sense. My gut is telling me..."

"Wait. Hold on. Dr. Karev stayed with _you_ last night? Is there any intern that isn't sleeping with their attending?"

"Richard, we're not sleeping together. He needed a friend. Someone to talk to. So I offered and he accepted. But back to the point. My gut is telling me that he has left town. Do you know where he is?"

"Yes I spoke with Dr. Karev this morning. He told me that he is finishing his residency someplace else, location to remain unnamed, and he asked me to write a recommendation for him. I'm not allowed to tell anyone where he went as per his request. I'm sorry Addie, but he doesn't want to be found. This has taken a great deal out of him. He needs to be away from here. I understand where he is coming from and that is why I'm sending him the recommendation. If he was in danger I would tell you. As far as I know he is fine. That's all I can say for now."

Addison looked at him with wide eyes. "You can't tell me where he is? That is the most absurd thing I've ever heard! I stayed with him and talked to him last night and _you_ can't tell me where he is?"

"Addie, don't you think that he would have told you he was leaving if he wanted to? He had plenty of opportunities since he was with you last night. He doesn't want to be found. Now just leave it alone and go back to work."

"Fine. Thanks for your help Richard. I really appreciate it." With that, Addison turned around and walked away, her heels clicking down the hall.

That night in her hotel room, Addison grabbed a bottle of wine and sat in bed looking at the note Alex had left her. Her mind wandered over all the places he could be.

_Maybe he went home? No, he hates it at home. He is probably still in Seattle somewhere working at another hospital._

Suddenly, she got an idea. She reached across the bed and picked up her cell from the bedside table and dialed Naomi's number.

"Hey Nae. It's Addison."

"Hey Addison. Long time no talk? What's going on? How have you been?"

"I've been okay. It's just turning out that Seattle isn't really the place for me anymore. I couldn't win Derek back and Mark is still a manwhore. I just need a change. That's why I'm calling you. I was wondering if that job you offered me was still open?"

"Wow. Why the sudden change of heart? I thought you could never work in a Private Practice?"

"A friend and co-worker suddenly left because he wanted a change. It got me thinking and I believe it's time for a change for me as well. So what do you say? You want to help out an old friend?"

"Addison you know you're always welcome down here. If you want the job it's yours. When can you start?"

"Oh Nae thank you so much. I'll be down there next week. I still have to talk to Richard about leaving. He's going to be a tough sell but I need to do this. I will call you soon. Thanks again, Nae!"

"You're welcome Addison. I will talk with you soon."

Addison set her phone back on the table. She had a huge smile on her face. Finally, she was doing something for herself. Maybe Alex's idea of leaving wasn't such a bad idea after all. She looked around the room and knew that she was making the right decision.

As she fell asleep with a smile on her face, her thoughts turned to Alex and she silently hoped he was all right and if she would ever see him again.

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**There you have it! Chapter 2. I hope you'll still review despite the crappy chapter. I have a lot of plans for this story:) So I'll post chapter 3 sometime this weekend and to make up for this it will be a lot longer!! Hope to hear from you all again!**

**KC**


	3. A Fresh Start

**Hey there everyone! Sooo...I know I told most of you that another chapter would be up last weekend. I'm SO sorry that it has taken me this long to postthe third chapter. It's longer than the other two though!! So please don't be too upset...Thank you all so much for your reviews!! I really really appreciate them:D I'm dedicating this chapter to Emily and Svenja for not listening to those horrible reviewers and who kept on writing anyway:) Hope you enjoy it!!**

**KC**

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**A Fresh Start**

Well as it turned out, Richard was not budging at all on this subject. "Richard I want to do this. I want a change. I _need_ a change. Please don't make me leave mad. I hate leaving mad."

Addison was pleading with Richard to accept her resignations papers. She was all set to leave for L.A. by the end of the week and was having a hard time convincing Richard that this was the right move for her. He seemed very hellbent on not letting her go.

"Addie, this isn't you. You like to cut people open and deliver healthy babies into the world. You don't work in a practice. That's for people who couldn't make it as real surgeons. What do you know about these people anyway?"

Addison was fuming about his remark towards her friends. "First of all, Sam and Naomi went to med school with me and Derek. They could have been some of the best surgeons in the world but instead they decided to open that Private Practice and help people on a more personal level. I think what they're doing is great and quite frankly I want to be a part of it. Now Richard I want you to let me go. Let me be happy. Either way, I'm leaving. As a friend and colleague I just want your blessing."

Richard looked at her defeated. She seemed to really want this.

"Okay Addie here's the deal. I need you to stay for one month until I can find someone capable enough to fill your position. THEN if you still want to go to this private practice, you will have my full blessing. Can you deal with that?"

Addison begrudgingly smiled at Richard and threw her arms around him. "Yes Richard I can do that for you. I have to call Naomi and tell her I'm not coming down until the end of the month, but I know she'll understand. You just have to let me go by the end of the month." Richard nodded his head in agreement and hugged Addison back.

_A month later..._

"No you can't put bed sheets and cutlery in the same box! Callie haven't you ever packed before?"

Callie looked at her friend baffled. "No Addison, they have sexy men who come and do all of this for you. And as an added bonus, you get to watch them work up a sweat."

Addison threw a pillow at Callie as she removed the serrated knives from the box with her linens.

"So you really want to do this huh? Move to L.A. and work at a practice?"

"Yes. I really want to do this. The night before Alex disappeared he was here with me and he was talking to me about how much he hated this place and how he needed change. It got me thinking and I decided that it's my time to change as well. So I am. You could come with me if you want! They could use an orthopedic surgeon such as yourself." Addison said grinning.

"I appreciate the offer and one day I might take you up on it but right now I can't leave. I like it here and Mark and I have started something that may or may not turn into something more. But back to the more pressing and important issue of one Dr. Alex Karev staying HERE the night before he left? Did anything happen? How could you wait so long to tell me this?! I want juicy details."

The redhead rolled her eyes at her best friend before divulging everything that happened that night.

"He was very drunk and we may have kissed. Well, he kissed me. Don't get me wrong, it felt amazing, but I couldn't sleep with him when he was in that condition. I just couldn't do it. So instead we curled up together in my bed and fell asleep in each other's arms. And Callie I have never felt more safe and secure than in that moment. I..."

"Oh my God!" Callie exclaimed interrupting Addison.

"What?"

"You love him."

"I so do not love him. I care about him, yes. But I do not love him Callie. I can't." She said trying more so to convince herself than her friend.

Callie looked at Addison and smiled. "You love him. I can see it. Your eyes light up when you talk about him and then you get this sad look on your face because you miss him and you desperately want to know where he is and why he isn't taking your calls."

"How did you know I tried calling him?"

"I didn't. I just guessed. But now I do." Callie said grinning wickedly.

Addison sighed. She hoped that wherever he was, he was happy. She wanted him to be happy. He deserved it.

The two friends continued to talk for the rest of the afternoon, stopping only to grab some lunch. Callie left later in the evening to go to the hospital and Addison looked around her apartment. Only the essentials were left to pack. A small wardrobe, her toiletries, and the bigger electrical things like the TV and the microwave. She gave it a satisfied smile before hopping in the tub to take a nice relaxing bath.

As soon as she submerged herself in the hot water, her cell phone began to ring. She jumped out of the tub and grabbed it, but it was too late. The person on the other end had hung up. When se went to call them back, she looked for a number but the caller ID read unknown. Addison had a feeling it was Alex trying to call her. She brought her phone with her into the bathroom and climbed back into the tub.

Time flew by and before she knew it, the day had arrived. Her last day at SGH. Addison performed one final surgery with Callie by her side and then she said goodbye to everyone before Callie took her to the airport.

"Please call me when you land so I know you've gotten there safely."

"Of course I will Cal. I love you. I'm going to miss you. Promise me you'll visit."

"I promise I'll visit I just don't know when." Callie replied as she hugged her friend goodbye.

Addison turned around to board her flight for last call but Callie called out to her, "Hey Addison?"

"Yeah Cal?"

"I hope you find the happiness you're looking for."

Addison smiled and said, "Me too Callie. Me too." before walking through the gate and taking her seat on the plane.

Her plane landed surprisingly on time and as Addison stepped out of the airport, she breathed in the fresh California air and let her skin absorb the sun.

She was finally going to start a new life on her own. Fresh faces and everything. Addison walked briskly to the waiting cab and gave the driver directions to her new beach house. About 20 minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of a beautiful two-story beach house that Naomi had picked out for her.

Addison paid the cab driver, put her belongings inside and made a ton of phone calls. Callie, Naomi, and Richard were the most important. After the phone calls were finished, Addison walked onto her deck outside and sat on the steps, letting her toes sink into the sand. She brought a bottle of wine with her and opened it up to celebrate. She only wished someone was there with her to share the moment.

Just as Addison was taking in the moment, a frisbee landed at her feet and a large yellow lab came bounding after it.

"Casey! Casey leave her alone!"

Addison looked up at saw a tall, thin blonde haired woman running towards the dog.

"I'm sorry about that. She's really nosy."

Addison smiled at the dog. Maybe she should get a dog. "Oh no, she's quite all right. She's beautiful. Where did you get her?"

"She was in a shelter and we adopted her. We love her to death."

Addison looked around for a sign of a man, but there was none.

"I'm Charlotte by the way. My boyfriend and I live next door. He's at work right now though. Life of an intern." Charlotte said jokingly.

"Nice to meet you Charlotte. I'm Addison. Is your boyfriend a doctor?" Addison asked intrigued.

"Yes. He's an intern in the neonatal ward and I'm the Chief of Surgery at St. Ambrose Hospital. What do you do?"

"Oh. I'm a neonatal surgeon. Dr. Addison Montgomery." She announced proudly.

"Oh Dr. Montgomery. Yes I've read about your work. You're a phenomenal surgeon. What brings you to sunny L.A.?"

"I'm actually going to start working with my best friends Sam and Naomi Bennett at their private practice. You may have heard of it. Oceanside Wellness Center?"

Charlotte looked at the woman in front of her in disbelief and simple said, "Oh."

Addison couldn't ignore the look of disgust on Charlotte's face at the mention of the practice.

"I needed change. So this is me changing."

"Well, yes that is a big change. You're so talented. Why a private practice? Especially _that_ one? Alex and I..."

"Alex? Did you just say Alex?" Addison's eyes got huge at the mention of his name. There was no way in hell that she was living next door to Alex Karev.

"Umm. Yes? Dr. Alex Karev. He came down here about a month ago from Seattle. Why?"

"Oh my God. This is not happening."

"What exactly is not happening?" Charlotte said beginning to get a little more than annoyed.

"Alex lives next door to me? With you? Oh God." Addison stood up and brushed the sand off her shorts and legs.

"You were his teacher at Seattle Grace weren't you. You're the woman from Seattle."

Addison was taken aback by that last comment. _The woman from Seattle? He talked about me?_

"Wait. Alex mentioned a woman in Seattle? Are you certain he wasn't talking about a patient?" Addison asked a little worriedly.

"No he was talking about a doctor. A red-haired doctor. That has to be you right?" Charlotte asked with bitterness in her voice.

"I guess that is me." Addison replied with a hint of a smile. _He missed me too._

"Look. I have to go. Nice meeting you." Charlotte said very curtly. She and Casey headed next door to their house and as Addison watched them walk away, she couldn't help but wonder why Alex wanted to be with this woman. He wasn't the 'let's get a dog and live together' kind of guy. Especially not after a month.

Addison wanted to know what was going through his head, even though it was none of her business. Right now though she was going to go inside and call Callie right back and tell her everything that was unfolding.

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**Well there's chapter 3!! I hope you like it so far! Can't wait to hear what you all have to say:D:D Next up: Addison and Alex come face to face again.**


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